Modern computing devices, such as cellular telephones, PDAs and laptop computers provide a keyboard functionality, implemented via hardware or software, for the purposes of inputting textual data by an operator. Utilizing this keyboard input functionality while operating a motor vehicle has become a significant safety hazard in recent years due to the increasing prevalence of such devices. The act of doing so poses a risk of injury or death to the operator, the passengers of the operator's vehicle, other vehicles and pedestrians due to the degree of attention required to operate keyboard input devices. Thus, it is desirable to selectively enable and disable keyboard input functionality on mobile devices in the possession of the operator of a motor vehicle while said vehicle is in motion.
Various devices have been proposed to address the texting while driving problem. Of these many deal with jamming cell phone signals which have the drawback that all cell phones in a vehicle are thus disabled. Further, such jamming does not prevent other use of the devices. Other systems relate to RF signals which require use of circuitry not normally employed in cellphones. Hence, a system and method is needed to economically provide for inhibiting texting and other uses of cellphone and other mobile computing devices while driving a vehicle.